This invention pertains to access windows and similar equipment more particularly to access windows for drive-through and walk-up fast food service installations. These access windows are typically provided in a building, such as a fast-food service establishment, a convenience drive-up food store, a service station attendant's booth, a free-standing kiosk, or the like.
The present invention especially relates to access windows typically installed on the side of a building adjacent a driveway or sidewalk to facilitate business transactions between an employee and customer. Such windows are conventionally located in a manner permitting an employee to view the customer approaching his window and to personally transact business with the customer.
In a typical commercial environment a drive-up access window must easily permit the employee to transact business with a customer and yet provide the necessary isolation between the outside environment and the inside environment to satisfy health end safety requirements.
Prior art windows are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,411,102; U.S. Pat. No. 4,442,630; U.S. Pat. No. 4,733,498; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,641,460. The windows may be actuated solely by manual force or by electrical motors triggered by an employee or by the presence of an employee.
Mechanically operated prior art devices require a substantial amount of physical exertion to operate as many windows in busy fast-food establishments may be operated in excess of 900 times per day. In an effort to reduce the physical strain and exertion associated with such operation many fast-food establishment employees resort to mechanically blocking a window in the open position which violates many local and state health codes. In some cases motor operators have been installed in such windows, however, switches and the like used to trigger the windows also have proven problematic inasmuch as the employees typically must open the windows without the use of their hands. Where automatic sensing means have been used, the auto-sensing means for the motor-operated windows has also proved problematic as the windows open unintentionally due to employee traffic in the proximity of the window or in some cases close inadvertently whenever the employee fails to maintain a physical pose in a manner that breaks an infrared beam or the like.